For most people, attending a dinner party is more about enjoying the people than, the food or drink, but making sure that you have plenty of all 3 on hand is a guaranteed way to host a successful party. Calculating beverages can be daunting, but with a little planning and know-how, you will never find yourself running out of drinks before the party is over, or left with half empty bottles that die a slow painful death in your home bar.
Before hosting your next party, define 2 signature cocktails to make shopping and serving a breeze, and then stock your bar with the following general essentials for a successful party:
Water: Ensure that you have an equal supply of both sparking and still water, and then provide1 litre of water for every 2 guests.
Wine: Stock your bar with both red and white wine, taking into consideration that one bottle will serve 2-3 guests.
Beer: Offer your guests both light and dark beer, and supply 2-3 bottles per guess if you are also supplying cocktails and wine. If only beer, ensure that you have 3-4 bottles on hand for each guest.
Cocktails: Serving 2 signature cocktails makes bar tending simple. Buy your liquor in quarts, as once they are opened, they deteriorate with a few weeks of opening. Generally 1 quart of liquor will serve 10 guests.
Ice: Generally speaking a host will use more ice in the summer than the winter, however the average norm is to have 1 lb of ice on hand for every 2 guests, more if you are serving cocktails.
Garnish & Other essentials: Every great bar has a number of garnishes (lemons, limes, olives, and the list continues), clever cocktail napkins, toothpicks, straws, the obligatory bar towel (after all, spills happen) and a plethora of clean glasses.
The Peppermint Martini
Looking for a new signature cocktail?
Why not try this Peppermint Infused Martini, it is sharp, crisp and perfect before and after dinner. If you don’t have the inclination (or time) to infuse your own Vodka, you can certainly pick some up at the shops, or a do a quick infusion the night before for a mild hint of peppermint.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of vodka (for prep) and 2 ounces for the drink
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1/2 ounce of crème de cacao
- 9 peppermint hard candies
- 2 tablespoons of clear cane sugar syrup
Infusion Directions: Two weeks prior to serving, add the vanilla bean and three peppermint hard candies to an 8-ounce bottle of vodka and allow the mixture to rest. The end result will be a vanilla and peppermint flavored vodka that has all the promise of a fabulous after dinner drink. Once infused, strain the vodka to remove any leftover peppermint pieces and the vanilla bean.
Cocktail Directions:
- Take five peppermint hard handies and crush them into a fine powder . Leave them to rest on a plate.
- Next, take two tablespoons of clear cane sugar syrup and pour it onto a plate.
- Line the rim of your martini glass with the clear cane sugar syrup by placing the glass upside down on the plate.
- Once evenly coated, lift the glass and place the it into the peppermint powder plate to rim the glass’ edge with peppermint.
- Fill your cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in 1/2 ounce of crème de cacao and two-ounces of your homemade infused vodka. Shake vigorously to cool the mixture, then strain into your martini glass before garnishing with a peppermint hard candy.
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